HB 4035 is a local bill affecting Lee County’s mosquito control governance. It revises the boundaries of the Lee County Mosquito Control District so that the district will include all of Lee County, and it repeals the prior special act that created the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District. The bill provides for the Fort Myers Beach district to be merged into the Lee County district, with all assets and liabilities transferred to the Lee County district.
The bill also requires a referendum before the merger and boundary change can take effect. The referendum is scheduled for November 3, 2026, concurrent with the general election, and must be approved by a majority of qualified voters in each district voting on the question. The ballot language is specified in the act, and the Lee County Supervisor of Elections is responsible for conducting the election under the Florida Election Code.
In practical terms, the bill amends a prior local law governing the Lee County Mosquito Control District and repeals chapter 2001-335, Laws of Florida, which established the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District. If approved, the legislation consolidates mosquito control operations under one independent special district and eliminates the separate Fort Myers Beach district as a legal entity.
The available context shows no recorded committee transcript debate or vote history, so there is little direct evidence of legislative controversy in the materials provided. The bill appears to have been enacted as Chapter No. 2025-235, suggesting it moved through the process successfully. Because it is a merger of local special districts, likely points of interest include local control, service coverage, tax or assessment implications, and the transfer of district obligations, but no specific objections or support statements are included in the record provided.
HB 4035 changes Florida special-district law for Lee County by expanding the Lee County Mosquito Control District to cover all of Lee County and by abolishing the separate Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District upon voter approval. It transfers all assets and liabilities from the Fort Myers Beach district to the Lee County district and requires the merger to be approved in a referendum by voters in both districts. The bill therefore affects local governance, district boundaries, and the legal status of the two mosquito control entities, while also preserving the referendum as a condition precedent to full effectiveness.
No committee transcripts or vote tallies were provided, so the record does not show formal debate or divided votes. The bill’s final enactment as a chapter law suggests it had sufficient legislative support and advanced without documented public opposition in the materials supplied. Overall, the sentiment appears neutral to favorable, reflecting a local government consolidation measure rather than a broadly controversial policy change.
The main potential points of contention are local and operational rather than ideological: whether mosquito control should be centralized under one countywide district, how assets and liabilities should be allocated, and whether residents of Lee County and Fort Myers Beach should each have to approve the merger. Because the bill requires a referendum in both districts, voter approval is the key hurdle and the primary venue for disagreement. No specific opponents, amendments, or committee objections are identified in the provided context.